Much attention and hype has been focused on this
atmospheric, moody and beautifully shot drama by director
Nicolas Pesce. The hype killer can infect the masses faster
than a Kardashian family home invasion, or a Donald Trump
pro-Mexican rally. Fortunately,The Eyes of My Mother
can fend off this bullshit frenzy and be enjoyed for what it
is -- a beautifully shot, disturbing and eerie portrait of
loneliness, isolation and the need to be wanted and depended
upon.

I'm hearing lots of comparisons, from what I've read from
other reviews, saying Francisca's character is reminiscent
of a female Norman Bates, or similar to Asami in Audition.
I personally feel she is more akin to say, Ed Gein, because
she lives on an isolated farm and has a knowledge of
dissecting human anatomy, thanks to her mother who worked in
surgery for a stint. There is a strong young Anthony
Perkins/Norman Bates vibe because the black and white color
scheme of the film, but Francisca is hauntingly calm, and
rarely shows a catharsis even when she kills, and even when
she does itâs severely cold and calculated. Francisca shows
more emotion and unstable social ability when threatened by
individuals who want to leave her. She is consumed with
loneliness and the desperation to have someone in her life.

The Eyes of My Mother is an offbeat, slow burning,
yet highly intriguing film. The movie features a Portuguese
family living on an isolated farm. They go through their
daily routines in a rather quiet manner, and we focus on a
young Francisca (Olivia Bond) and mother (Diana Agostini)
whose interactions border on the butchery of the cows on
their farm, and other daily routines/chores which fill their
lives. The mother has a background in surgery so she
explains to the young Francisca about human anatomy, with a
special mention on the eyes which she removes from a cow on
the farm, something which will be an important plot aspect
further along in the film.

One day Francisca is out on the front lawn playing when she
is approached by a bizarre looking man named Charlie (Will
Brill), who claims he just wants to talk to her mother. Once
inside things escalate quickly, and in a disturbing manner
as Charlie takes Francisca's mother to the bathroom.
Francisca's father (Paul Nazak) returns home from work to
make a gruesome discovery. Later we cut to Francisca and her
father burying their mother, but what makes it all the more
bizarre is the fact that they also have Charlie chained up
in the barn and have not bothered to call the authorities.
It seems as though the father has taken the law into his own
hands, but has also let Francisca treat Charlie as her play
toy. Despite the fact Charlie has brutally killed her
mother, Francisca says to him "Why would I kill you,
youâre my only friend."

We then spring years ahead to find Francisca as a young
adult (Kika Magalhaes), still living on the farm. Charlie is
still captive. Her father has now passed and she has grown
tired of Charlie it seems. One of the most effective and
chilling scenes in the movie has Francisca asking Charlie
why he kills and he responds, "Because it feels so good!"
A practice which Francisca soon puts into full effect
herself.

The musical score in this is highly effective. The camera
work is to be admired, especially those long distance shots
-- they really bring a style to this that makes it a
pleasure to watch. Itâs shot in black and white so that also
brings a whole new level of atmosphere to the picture, plus
those Psycho references are to be expected. The title
of the movie is brought to the surface later in the film as
Francisca's desperation to find a companion reaches new
heights of demented aggression. Despite Francisca's actions
in the movie, her murdering not so innocent and innocent
individuals, I never found myself hating her, I just felt
deeply sorry for her even with the depths she goes to fill
that dark void of loneliness within herself.

Definitely regarded as one of late 2016's hit sleeper
dramas, with suspense and horror elements sprinkled in. The Eyes of My Mother is a welcome entry to the best of
2016 roster. Its slow burning style, presence of Kika
Magalhaes who steals the show as the lead, with an
infatuation which is infectious, and originality which
builds in volumes throughout.